Last Saturday (May 25) the Mandela Bay Jazz Legacy Festival blessed Gqeberha with three icons, legends, and absolute giants in the music industry: Edgar Muzah, McCoy Mrubata, and Dr. Nduduzo Makhathini writes MVUME NDIMBA
It’s crazy how the MBTC waited for the beginning of winter to bring the SAMAs to the bay but on Saturday 25/05/2024 we saw our beloved city blessed by 3 icons, legends, and absolute giants in the music industry. Namely: Edgar Muzah , Lifetime SAMA Award winner McCoy Mrubata, and Multiple SAMA and Metro FM award winner and hat enthusiast Dr, Nduduzo Makhathini
Each of them is accompanied by a troop of incredible support talent, punctuating the writing, and composing ability of each of these leads. The entire night was filled with beautiful music and masterful crowdwork that was made ever so much more intimate by the low stage height. The massive stature of these artists was stripped away as the audience sat at eye level to these gods of the jazz industry.
While each and every one of these men deserves a write-up of their own, as a music fan and former 3rd chair amateur musician, one act in particular stuck with me and still lingers in my heart and mind to this day.
You see, music is not just sound. It’s not sheet music and instruments, music is the sounds that life makes around you while you live it. And the opening act (I feel bad even calling him an opener) Let me rather call him the “curtain raiser” the credits before the movie that generate hype and excitement for what’s to come. Mr. Edgar Muzah and his incredible band took us all on a journey, a long yet scenic ride through our legacy as a city and the future of jazz and live music as a whole.
Edgar Muzah (born in Zimbabwe) is a bassist primarily whose ear for music is like nothing I’ve ever seen. He could find the pocket in a pair of leggings, and his stage presence and personable approach to performing made me feel like we knew each other like we could’ve been Eskimo brothers (dont Google that)
He opened his set with a calm, repetitive chant, backed by his 3 beautiful backup singers and an interpretive dancer we didnt get to see again, but slowly he dictated the pace of his set, the repetitive chanting draws the listener in and before you know it you’re swept up in the emotion of it all, the music slowly builds and swells to a crescendo that warmed the crowd up perfectly for what was to come.
At this point, my notes read: “I wish his lead guitar would step out in front and soak up some of this spotlight because he is going crazy”
He followed up with an original song titled “Nali Bali” bringing out two supporting vocalists to get a verse in. It was at this point that I realised that I wasn’t just watching a bunch of musicians make music, I realised that I was witnessing a practitioner, an old kung-fu master who’s mastered the art of when to act positively, when to act negatively, and when to act neutral. I envisioned the performance as a battle between the artist and the crowd. He wants to take us to the deep water and has to fight against the distractions in our pockets (phones) around us (there were some beautiful people out there man) and the bar.
But by the time he finished his rendition of “Qula Kwedini” it was over. We were his to use, putty in his hands.
The original composer of this song is a local legend (Zim Ngqwana) born on Christmas day 1959 in this very city. Edgar knew he had a cheat code. As soon as we heard that opening piano riff and heard the whistle in our heads… we knew what it was. By the second “Quuuuuuuuula kwedini” the stage was rushed by fans with their phones out, recording, dancing, and laying money down at his feet.
At this stage the roof of the building was hanging on by a thread, seats were empty and we were up and excited for what was to come. And just that quick he took it down… Once again using that skill of crowd work he tells us about the next song he wrote, a song dedicated to his mother who he recently lost, bringing the crowd back down to earth and playing a sombre yet loving tune that captivated the crowd and held us gently almost the same way a mother’s love would. I dont know if it’s the shared experience of losing a parent or the masterful crowd work that made me feel closer to this gentleman. At this moment I knew that I got what I needed from the outing.
He brought out a supporting bassist, a brass trio, and a local MC named Epic The Scriptwriter and quickly realised what was and wasn’t working at the moment. He was tuned in to the crowd and knew exactly what we wanted to see and what we didn’t,
He closed his set by giving his support artists the solo I was desperately craving. Working his way from the backup singers, percussion, strings, and brass section, each musician had 16 bars or so to show off a little and this was my favourite moment of his set. And as predicted… The lead guitarist tore the stage to shreds! (still refused to take centre stage and took a couple of steps forward at stage right… like, bro. You the man, act like it!)
Egdar Muzah’s set list and sequencing told a story of love, friendship, loss, and triumph. He took the audience on a journey and once he dropped us all off at the final destination I think we all agreed that even though he opened the show, he felt like the closer (at that moment) Because I can’t lie the OGs came on after him and showed exactly why they earned their respective spots as nationally recognised acts and legends in the jazz scene.
As I always do when reviewing the artists who bless our coast with their gift, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am grateful and honoured to have seen you all ply your trade in this beautiful city.
Dr, Nduduzo Makhathini. Thank you for your life
McCoy Mrubata. Thank you for your life.
Edgar Muzah. Thank you for your life.
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